TV show puts Salford in top 10 worst places to live

SALFORD has been branded by Channel 4 housing experts as one of the ten worst places to live in the UK, although they say current regeneration projects could turn our city into a future property hot spot.

SALFORD has been branded by Channel 4 housing experts as one of the ten worst places to live in the UK, although they say current regeneration projects could turn our city into a future property hot spot.

In Channel 4's 'Best And Worst Places To Live In The UK' on Tuesday night, the city was labelled the ninth worst place in the country in which to put down roots.

Presenters Kirsty Allsop and Phil Spencer said Salford had one of the worst school attendance records in the UK and pupils were three times more likely to be expelled in Salford than anywhere else in Great Britain.

Other claims included a high truancy rate and 130 anti social behaviour orders being issued in the city in the last five years.

On the plus side, Salford was praised for regeneration projects such as those at Salford Quays and a 40 per cent rise in house prices in the last five years.

Council leader councillor John Merry slammed the programme as a 'piece of midsummer silliness' that was put out to fill a gap in viewing schedules.

"We have never made any secret of the fact that the city has problems with anti-social behaviour or school attendance problems for certain disadvantaged areas," he said.

"We are attempting to solve those problems by a full-on approach that will encourage better school attendance and thus raise aspirations and if this means truancy sweeps and ASBOS, so be it, but when we are criticised for doing so, it is particularly irritating."

Cllr Merry was pleased the programme acknowledged the success of regeneration at Salford Quays but angry that similar regeneration schemes in Langworthy and Lower Broughton were not mentioned.

Former BBC journalist Felicity Goodey, who is chair of the Central Salford Urban regeneration Company, said: "We certainly don't accept that Salford is one of the worst places to live in the UK. This is based on a very outdated image of Salford.

"A great deal has been achieved over the past 10 years or more to make Salford a very desirable place to live."

However, Lib Dem deputy leader on the council Tim Perkins said: "There is too much emphasis on the Quays and not enough is being done to tackle the real problem areas in the inner-city.

"Luxury apartment blocks are all very well, but we need better quality housing for those lower down the scale."

Conservative leader on Salford Council Karen Garrido acknowledged that city bosses were trying to improve the city but added: "This council has not got a grip on the state of education in the city and this was borne out by the programme.

"We should be ashamed to have such a high truancy record, poor attendance and a high number of ASBOs."

A spokesperson for Channel 4 explained that all 434 UK local authorities were contacted and judged on the same criteria - crime, education, employment, environment and lifestyle, using statistics for the same period 2003-2004.

"The criteria the decision was based on include factors that have the potential to change, and many of the places included in the 10 worst have the potential to improve in future years," she said.